Friction draft-gear.



M. A. OCONNQR. FRICTJON DRAFT GEAR. APPLICATION FILED lungs. was.

1,20Q642. Patent-ed- Oct. 10,1916.

,ifi nessesa MARTIN A. OCGNNOR, 0F BUFFAIIQ, NEW YORK, A-SSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COREORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FRICTION DRAFT-GEAR To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAnTrN A. OGoNNoR, a citizen. of the United States, residing at "Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Friction Draft-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in that type of friction draft gears for railway cars which compitch, but if the pitch of the wedge is toolowit will stick and will not release, or be restored to the initial position when the pressure thereon is relieved. On the other hand, if the wedge has pitch enough to properly release or be returned to the initial position when the pressure or draft is removed therefrom, then a gear having friction blocks or shoes of the ordinary sort-will not develop the friction necessary to resist the maximum shocks to which it is sub ectedin use.

The object of thisinvention is to produce a friction draft gear of great capacity and of siniple and strong construction in which the friction blocks and the coiiperating faces of the barrel on which they slide are so shaped that they will offer the required frictional resistance to the movement of, the drawbar and at the same time permit of the use of a wedge which will properly release itself' v 1 In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section of a draft gear embodying the invention. Fig.2

is a fragmentary vertical sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 3 1s a crosssectlon thereof in 1ine-33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the friction blocks detached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the wedge detached. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section I of the wedge and friction blocks in line 6--6 Fig. 2. v Like letters of reference refer to'like parts in the several figures.

OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 10, 1916';

Application filed .Tune c, 1908. Serial No. 437,049

A. represents the rear end of the drawbar,

a the'draft yoke secured to and extending rearwardly from the drawbar, and B and C the front and rear movable followers which extend transvesel'y through the yokes and.

cooperate with front and rear stops or abutments 6 and c on the draft sills Dto transmit the draft strains and buffing shocks .to

the draft sills. These partsmay be of the usual or any suitable construction and 0perate 1n the usual manner.

E represents a barrel or case whlch is ar-' ranged within the yoke a between the fol-' lowersB and C and hearing at one end against one of the followers. In the gear shown, the rear end of thebarrel ,bears against the rear follower and is closed by a head or cover 6. The barrel contains or in closes the spring and friction devices of the gear and the closed end thereof may be of cylindrical or other shapes suitable to form a spring chamber. The other or front end of the barrel is preferably open and has opposite walls 6 which converge from the cen-.

ter toward the opposite sides of the barrel, thereby forming wedge pockets or cavities in the opposite sides of the barrel. The walls 6 are preferably curved on the arc of a circle, ellipse, parabola, or other suitable curve.

F represents an ordinary double coil' spring located in the spring chamberof the" barrel.

G G represent. two friction blocks or shoes which arearranged to slide longitudinally in thewedge pockets of the'barrel against the action ofthe spring F, which presses them forwardly inthe barrel; The friction blocks are wedge-shapedin crosssection, having opposite faces 9 which converge toward the sides of -the barrel and substantially conform in shape to the facese of the barrel so as to bear against said faces Fig. 3, so -that these parts cannot contact and take any of the lateral pressure of the friction blocks off of the friction faces e of the barrel.

between the friction blocks-with it s inclined faces. bearing against opposite inclined faces 72. on thefriction blocks .G G, preferably at their forward ends. The wedge is adapted to be forced or wedged between the friction blocks so as. tdspread the same apartlaterallyagainst the friction faces. e ofthe barrel" when the front follower B, against which the large end of the wedge bears, is pushed rearwardly or the barrel is pulled forwardly. I I

In the gear shown the Wedge, friction blocks and spring are all inserted in the barrel through the rear end thereof before the rear head 6 is secured in place, and. lugs are provided atthe f nt end of the barrel which project into longitudinal slots 2' in the sides, of the wedge H and engage shoulders on the wedge at the rear ends of said slots 'to limit the forward movement of the wedge in the barrel and prevent the escape of the parts from the open front end of the barrel. Any other means could be employed for this purpose.

The operation of the gear is as follows When therear follower and barrel are pulled forwardly by the draWbar in drawing the car, orthe front follower is pushed rear- Wardly by the drawbar in bufiing, the friction blocks G Giwill slide longitudinally in the barrel and compress the spring F, and the wedge H will also be forced inwardly between thecooperating inclined faces of the friction blocks G G so as to forc bly spread these blocks apart laterally agamst the cooperating friction faces e of the barrel on which they slide. As the lateral movement of the friction blocks isresisted entirely by the converging friction faces e of the barrel the friction blocks Wlll wedge between these faces and the friction thus caused between the contacting surfaces of the friction blocks and barirel will be much greater'than could he obtained with a con.- sti'uction in which the "friction blocks contact'with :f'ricti on faces arranged-"directly oppositethereto or perpendicular to the dlrection in which-the friction blocks are spread by the wedge. As the walls 0 of the barrel are curved or approach each other toward the sides of the barrel, the tendency of the spreading friction blocks to stretch or distort the barrel laterally has the, effect of straightening the walls e and drawing them tween two converging friction faceson the r I p -barrel, and two friction blocks are forced H represents a Wedge which is arranged" against each friction face of the barrel in the action of the gear. The barrel has no inwardly-projecting parts between the wedges,

its friction 'faces forming with each other only concave angles and no rentrant angles,

so that the spreading of the friction blocks tends to straighten the walls of the barrel and vso 1. In a friction gear, the combination of a barrel, friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and have transversely converging faces which contact with corresponding transversely converging friction faces in said barrel, each friction face ofthe barrel engaging cooperating faces on two friction blocks, a spring for opposing the longitudinal movement of said friction blocks in said barrel, and a wedge forforcibly pressing said friction blocks laterally against said friction faces of the barrel, clearance spaces being left between the corners of said friction blocks and the angles between the friction faces of said barrel, whereby each friction block is wedged laterally between two converging friction faces in said barrel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a friction gear, the combination of a barrel having transversely converginginterior friction faces forming concave angles only in the barrel, friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and each having transversely converging faces which contact with two converging friction faces of the barrel, a spring for opposing the lon- ,gitudinal movement of said friction blocks, I

verging friction faces in said barrel, substantially asset forth.

3. In a friction gear, the combination of a barrel, friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and have transversely converging curved faces which contact with corresponding transversely converging curved friction faces insaid barrel, 0; spring for opposing the longitudinal mucosa movement of said friction blocks, and a wedge for forcibly pressing said friction blocks laterally against said friction faces of the barrel, clearance spaces being left between the corners of said. friction blocks and the angles bet een the friction faces of tion faces in said barrel, a spring for opposing the longitudinal movement of said friction blocks in said barrel, and a wedge which is movable with said other follower for forcibly pressing said friction blocks against said friction faces of the barrel, clearance spaces being left between the corners of said friction blocks and the angles between the friction faces of said barrel, whereby each friction block is wedged laterally between two converging friction faces in said barrel, substantially as set forth.

5. In a friction gear, the combination of a barrel, a pair of opposite friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and are substantially wedgeshaped in crosssection and contact with opposite friction faces in said barrel which converge toward opposite sides of the barrel, a spring for opposing the longitudinal movement of said friction blocks in the barrel, and a wedge arranged between and engaging said frietion blocks for wcdging them laterally between said c mverging friction faces of the barrel, clearance spaces being left between the wedge. points of said friction blocks and the corners formed in the barrel by the con-' verging friction faces thereof to allow such wedging action of said friction blocks, substantially as set forth.

(3. In a friction draft gear. the combination wi h a. draw-bar, movable followers and stops for said followers, of a barrel between said followers and movable with one of said followers, said barrel having a portion with opposite curved walls which converge toward opposite sides of the barrel, a pair of opposite friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and are substantially wedge-shaped in cross-section longitudinally in and have curved faces which contact with thecurved walls of the barrel, a spring for opposing the longitudinal movement of said friction blocks in said barrel, and a wedge which is movable with said other follower for wedging said friction blocks laterally between said converging walls of said barrel, clearance spaces being left between the wedge points of said friction blocks and the corners formed in the barrel by the converging friction faces thereof to allow such wedging action of said friction blocks, substantially as set forth.

7. In a friction gear, the combination of a barrel, a pair of opposite friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and are substantially wedge-shaped in cross-section and contact with correspondingly shaped friction faces at opposite sides of the barrel, a spring for opposing the longitudinal movement of said friction blocks, a wedge arranged between and engaging said friction blocks for wedging them laterally between said friction faces of the barrel, one end of said barrel being open, and means on the open end of said barrel for preventing the escape of said wedge and as set forth.

8. In a friction gear, the combination of a barrel having a follower on one end thereof,

friction blocks which slide longitudinally in said barrel and contact with corresponding friction faces at the sides of the barrel, a spring which presses the friction blocks the barrel, a wedge arranged between and engaging said friction blocks, for wedging them laterally against said friction faces of the barrel, and means on the ends of said barrel for preventing the escape of said movable parts from the barrel.

9. In a friction gear, thecombination of a case member, friction blocks slidable within and against the same, a wedge for spreading said friction blocks, a spring pressing the friction blocks forwardly in the case member, and means. on said case member holding said" wedge from outward movement, whereby said parts are held againsteach other irrespective of the actuating elements of the gear.

Witness my hand, this 3rd day of June, 

